The delivery of two ‘Rotor Tugs' of a new RT80-32 design have been delivered to Dutch tug operator Kotug by the Niigata Shipbuilding and Repair yard in Niigata, Japan.

Named RT Rob and RT Peter, these are the first two vessels of a series built in a collaboration between Kotug International of Rotterdam and its associate Rotor Tug's design and marketing company KST BV.

RT Rob and her sistership are powered by three Caterpillar 3512C engines of 1,765kW (a total of about 7,194bhp) each connected to three fixed pitch Schottel fully azimuthing propulsion units, via Twin Disc 3000LD clutches.

This new generation of 32m ‘Rotor Tugs' designed for harbour and coastal towage has a bollard pull of over 85 tonnes. RT Rob was delivered under her own power from Japan to Bremerhaven via the Panama Canal, and at the time of writing RT Peter was on passage to Rotterdam.

The tugs and are part of a fleet expansion and replacement program that will continue until mid 2012.